Palliative Care in the Management of Patients with Advanced Heart Failure.

Palliative Care in the Management of Patients with Advanced Heart Failure. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2017 Oct 14;: Authors: Lowey SE Abstract Globally, there are 18-million individuals living with heart failure, a disease that is responsible for 12-15 million office visits and 6.5 million inpatient hospitalizations each year. As HF becomes advanced or end-stage, patients often live in a cycle of frequent transitions between care settings, and with unmet needs, including distress from inadequately managed symptoms. Prognostication in patients with heart failure can be challenging due to the unpredictable exacerbating-remitting illness trajectory that is associated with this progressive disease. Recurrent hospitalizations, worsening functional status and refractory symptoms, despite optimal therapies, are among the most salient predictors indicating that patients with advanced heart failure are nearing the end of life. Palliative care is a specialized form of medical care that has been shown to help improve severity of symptoms, facilitate discussions regarding medical decision making/advance care planning, and provide support for patients and their families. Palliative care can be used alongside curative treatments and has been shown to improve patient satisfaction and quality of life. Anorexia-cachexia syndrome, dyspnea, fatigue, pain and depression are among the most common symptoms experienced by patients suffering from advanced heart fa...
Source: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology - Category: Research Tags: Adv Exp Med Biol Source Type: research